Gingerbread Layer Cake

Pepper. White pepper and cayenne pepper.

These are the "secret" ingredients in this cake which is now at the top of my favourites list. I have already made this more than once and ask people to guess the secret after tasting - though so far no one has quite pinned down the source of this glorious dark, moist, spicy cake's distinctive, addictive flavour explosion.

This appeared in the Cook's Illustrated, November / December 2017 Issue and is also available online if you subscribe to the America's Test Kitchen online site. (BTW - this is not a sponsored post, but you’d do well to subscribe to their newsletters. Eventually you will get a great offer for digital access - and then you can live, and cook, happily ever after!) As usual, they tested the dickens out of this so it's foolproof, though I have shared one modification - and all my tips.

The icing is out of this world and like nothing I have ever seen, made or tasted before. Apparently it is an old-fashioned recipe called "ermine frosting" described by the Culinary Alchemist site as smoother than silk. You could use this on many other cakes that come out of your kitchen.

Since it was the show-stopper for Xmas dinner, I did a bit of make-ahead - see Notes (below).

Getting Ready:

If you plan to ice the cake on the same day you bake it, note that you should start the icing first. The first step in the icing requires a two hour cool down. During that time you can bake the cake.

Note that I list several things as "day before" - I love to do that kind of prep. It makes baking day feel more like a "cooking show", where all things are ready and assembly is simple and quick.

purchase white pepper if you don't already have some

prep icing dry ingredients (could be done day before)

mix dry ingredients for cake (could be done day before)

cut rounds of parchment paper (here's how) for baking tins - you'll need 4 rounds of parchment, but only two tins; if you have four 8" inch round pans - yippee - but the assumption is that you only have two (could be done day before)

You can, if you wish, prepare the cake itself with just hand whisking - or use a stand mixer. You'll need two bowls - one for dry and one for wet ingredients, which are then combined. They assume most people will not have 4 cake tins so they suggest making two layers at a time, then repeating.

Combine this wet mixture with the mixture of dry ingredients, whisking until fully combined.

(Remember, ATK assumes you have only two baking pans, so to get four layers you have to repeat the next step.) Pour 1 1/3 cups batter into each prepared pan. (If you only have two 8" pans then that's all you do for now.) Bake on an oven rack at medium position at 350 F until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes - though in my oven I had to go to 16 minutes. (The tops of the cake will be shiny and may appear to be wet.) Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Invert cake layers onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment; re-invert cakes so that the shiny side is up. Wipe pans clean with paper towels. Once again, grease / flour the two pans and line with fresh parchment. Repeat the baking / cooling process with remaining batter. Let cakes cool completely before icing.

Two choices here. ATK suggests using a stand mixer / paddle, to beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then add the cooled milk mixture and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined, increasing speed to medium-high and beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

I like the approach outlined by Culinary Alchemy where you begin by beating the cooled milk mixture and vanilla first, and then with the mixer on low speed, dropping in the softened butter one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. That might take about 2 minutes. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for another 5 minutes. It should be light and fluffy.

Assembly. Place one layer on your platter, spreading it with 3/4 cup of the frosting. Repeat with the other layers, and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides. Garnish the top with ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional). I even think it might work to sprinkle some of this onto one of the other layers. ATK suggests refrigerating this for 30 minutes until the icing is set, but I don't usually do that. (Mind you I have not yet made this during warmer months.) ATK says it can be made and refrigerated, covered, for two days - I have done that, but give it a really long time to come to room temperature before serving - otherwise your guests will not experience the icing as silky and soft.

Notes and Tips...

White Pepper - I always have this on hand so it hasn't been a problem. Not sure if black pepper would work - perhaps an issue might be that it can be more coarse, whereas white pepper is quite powdery.

Molasses - use "fancy" molasses, the kind used for baking - not blackstrap which is too bitter.

Make-ahead - ATK says it can be made and refrigerated, covered, for two days - I have done that, but it needs a really long time to come to room temperature before serving - otherwise guests will not experience the icing as silky and soft.